2021 Notebook: China a huge 2021 story, with Olympics ahead

By The Associated Press

China was one of the biggest stories of 2021. Top stories included its plans to host the 2022 Winter Olympics in the face of criticism about its human rights records in the Xinjiang region, Tibet and Hong Kong. Then there were the questions about how it would wield its economic power in a delicately balanced world. Not to mention the always relevant issue of how it deals with the United States — this year, under a new president, Joe Biden. The Associated Press journalist who oversaw AP’s China coverage in 2021 says it was a challenging year for China in multiple ways.